Scheduling and Apologies for Lack of Post

If you were looking for a new chapter of UnJust Cause, my sincerest apologies.  Our internet crashed and burned and we only really got it up and running a day or so ago.  I will be back to my usual schedule next week.  

This was also the start of school for my son and we have a crazy new start time that we're ALL still getting used to.

We actually got the podcast recorded and posted early this morning, but I had to run off to work at the Maplewood Library, so I forgot to do all the social media-ing to let people know it was out and up. If you want to listen to it, you can find ihere:http://mangakast.wordpress.com/2014/09/05/you-and-me-23/.

Figuring out the new manga publishing schedule as well as Mason's o'heck o'clock school start time is kind of doing a number on us. We may end up shifting our 'broadcasting' schedule again... to be timely, we may have to post on Thursday nights. That might work out all around, since I'll be more caffeinated and we won't have to have Shawn breathing down our necks that it's time to get going. (Though that added a certain otaku flavor that I really liked.)

At the library today my manga find was volumes 1 &2 of : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingyo_Used_Books (known in Japanese as Kingyoya Koshoten). I've been trying to find an on-line source for it with no luck. It's a combination of two genres I like in manga--slice-of-life and manga about manga. The "main character" (there's kind of couple at the center) is the woman pictured on the cover below, who has taken over general management of her grandfather's legendary used manga store. Stuff happens around them, manga changes people's lives, and a lot of manga are discussed and quoted.







I haven't decided how I feel about it, but it's a lot of fun.

MangaKast has Moved...

As I'm sure many of you have heard, Weekly Shounen Jump has changed its publication date. The translations were scheduled to come out Friday, but we managed (like many people who were crashing the various translation sites) to read them on Thursday afternoon. We decided to stick with a Friday AM publication, anyway, because, honestly, I suspect it will settle into that soon enough. Anyway, you can get the link to our podcast here: mangakast.wordpress.com/2014/08/29/22-we-love-you/

In this podcast, I actually spend some time trying to figure out why this last chapter left me feeling unsettled. Ultimately, I think I decided it was the questions that a certain scene opened... but go listen. I'm actually fairly articulate for once, which is fairly amazing considering how little coffee I had before we started this.

At Wyrdsmiths last night I was overwhelmed by a desire to doodle and drew this on my paper cup:

I call her "meep" and she seems to be at least partly inspired by Digger (by Ursula Vernon), which Mason has been re-reading. She also has a very long, dinosaur like tail on the other side of the cup and has probably been recycled by now.... but she made me think that I should try to draw a graphic novel type thing with these kinds of fantasy characters. Because, you know, if I don't get the bodies just right, WHO WOULD EVEN KNOW?? :-)

Tuesdays with Tate

Today is Tuesday, which means you can read the newest installment of my work-in-progress, UnJust Cause, a serialization of the sequel to Precinct 13. In this episode, Alex hangs out with the werewolf biker gang while on run from the demon agents... http://www.wattpad.com/67753844-unjust-cause-part-21-heart-breakers-and-heart

When Rivendell Calls, I Answer

The Rivendell Discussion Group of the Mythopoeic Society has invited me to join their discussion of "The Hobbit: That Wasn't in the Book" at Common Good Books in St. Paul on Monday, September 22 at 7 PM. (September 22, of course, being the date recognized as Bilbo and Frodo's birthday by most Hobbit/LotRs fans.)

Apparently, Gandalf David was having some trouble finding a burglar panelist for this gig. I'm not quite sure about this funny mark he's left of my door, but I'm sure it will all be fine. I'm not really the adventurous type, you know. Do hope there might be a bit of singing, though (and some sexy dwarves.)

Fingers crossed. See you there, perhaps.

Fingers to the Keyboard, Nose to the Grindstone

I'm having one of those writing days where I feel like every word I write is stupid and nothing comes easily. It's only annoying because I haven't had much time to write this weekend, since I worked both Saturday and Sunday.

When I have days like this, I always remember back to the interview I did with Neil Gaiman for Science Fiction Chronicle back in god-knows-how-long-ago. He talked about that classic idea that really, showing up is the biggest part of writing, but his contribution to that old saw was that it's worth the effort. At the end of a novel or story or whatever, for the most part you can't really tell the difference in the writing between the days when every word was like squeezing blood from a turnip and the ones where you felt like the Muse dribbled gold out each finger. So, you know, the difference between someone who writes and someone who doesn't, is that the writer just keeps banging away, even when it's hard. (That's the gist of it, except, of course, he said it cleverer.)

Also, I take comfort that someone like Neil Gaiman has had shit-for-writing days, too.

Why So Dark, YA?

Today at the library I got cornered by one of those people who you just know is winding up for a rant about something.

After asking me if I worked there, she launched into a Thing about how dark young adult novels were getting and how we shouldn't be surprised when our children axe-murder us in our sleep after reading things like that. Tisk, tisk and all that.

I mostly nodded politely because I don't believe for a minute that teenagers are any more likely to axe-murder me over something they read or a game they played, than I would have when I was that age and read and played the same sorts of things. (Look, when I was coming of age, it was the horrors of Dungeons & Dragons... there's always something that's going to Ruin the Youth of Today.)

However, what this woman complained about is old news to some extent, and she's certainly not alone in worrying about it. I told her so. I also told her that I felt that some of what she was worrying about is actually a somewhat new (though, again, not really) trend in young adult books towards dystopian futures, which aren't actually about feeling sad and powerless at all, but about the need at a certain age to change the world, a desire to have a clear-cut enemy, and to DO SOMETHING to make things right. This is a Good Thing disguised as a Bad Thing.

I didn't tell her, because I knew she couldn't hear that, that I also believe books about self-harm and other things aren't so much 'how-to' books for self-destruction as novels that help people feel less alone (like I did when I discovered that there were other gay people, thanks in large part to science fiction). Maybe these were never issues written about when we were young, but... I knew people who self-harmed when I was a teen, so you know, writing about it doesn't bring it into existence, it just makes the issues less invisible.

But that was an argument I was sure to lose, so I just nodded politely. And, you know, YA *is* darker now than when I was a teen, but when I was a teen it also wasn't its own section. We didn't really have YA as a separate thing. We had juvenile and we had grown-up books. A lot of people my age had to get our parents' permission to have free range of the library once we'd grown out of Dr. Seuss. So, you know, I tried Lady Chatterly's Lover at sixteen (I missed the sex. Seriously. Completely.) I also read Go Ask Alice and didn't become a drug-addict, funny enough. Thus, I've never worried over much about books corrupting people.

At any rate.

When she really, really wanted to agree with me that it was All Bad, I told her I don't make the buying decisions for the library. If the kids want it, we stock it. What are you going to do?

Ultimately, she thanked me for such an interesting discussion

Have I mentioned I love working at the library? I do, actually. I really do.

UP-Coming Teaching Gigs

It occurs to me that people who read me here may be interested to know that I have several fan fiction writing gigs that I'll be teaching via The Loft Literary Center coming up:

First, for TEENS:

On Monday, October 13 from 6:00-7:30 pm I'll be the Loft's "First Pages" instructor for "Writing Fan Fiction" a program for teens at the Savage Library. The library is located at 13090 Alabama Ave South, Savage, MN.

The program description reads: Do you long to carry on the amazing story lines of your favorite novels, and live with your most treasured characters beyond the final page of the final chapter? That's what fan fiction is for! Learn how to carry on your favorite story lines--and invent your own--in this engaging class on extending the lives of your favorite characters.


On Thursday, October 16 as part of the Teen Writing Converence at the Loft, I'll be teaching a 75-minute workshop called "Capturing Kudos: Pro Tips for Improving Your Fan Fiction

The program description reads: Some people might tell you that writing fan fic is 'easier' because so much has already been established in terms of characterization and world-building. The people who say that, however, probably haven't actually tried it. The truth is, fan fiction requires all the same skills as writing anything, plus the author has to be constantly aware of canon and how it reflects on what they're writing (even AU), as well as readers who might scream OOC! This workshop will give you pro tips on how to improve your writing in general and in specific to fan fic's quirks from the perspective of someone who is not only a professionally published author, but also a prolific fan writer as well. As part of this workshop, we will practice beta reading for each other with an eye on setting, themes, conflict, and sensory details.

Second, for ADULTS:

My friend Rachel Gold and I will be co-teaching: "Using Fan Fiction to Improve Your Writing" on Wednesdays, 6-8 p.m. from January 21 to February 25, 2015--which will be part of the Loft's winter course catalogue. Technically, we're waiting for Rachel to confirm, but I wanted to get this info out there so that people can plan ahead. The Loft classes can be pretty pricey, but keep in mind there are always a few, limited number of scholarships available.

I haven;t yet heard from the Loft about whether or not my solo proposal for an in-class winter Science Fiction/Fantasy class is going to go, but I'm excited to be co-teaching with Rachel, if nothing else. Should be a blast. I'll post our course description once everything is 100% confirmed. In fact, you may be hearing about this class a lot, since I really want it to be successful. First of all, I think there's a huge market for it and it would be wonderful for the Loft to recognize that and offer more classes like it. Second, it would just be nifty to have a legit way to get paid to talk about fan fic! :-)

Textbook Feelings

Every time I pick up a book about drawing, I end up learning more about myself than I do art.

I ordered Foundations in Comic Book Art: Fundamental Tools and Techniques for Sequential Artists by John Paul Lowe from Blogging for Books this month because I’m a frustrated artist.

As the title suggests, this is a book aimed at teaching fundamentals to beginners. It is a book chock full of exercises focused on improving basic skills, from learning to draw straight lines to understanding the specialized needs of visual storytelling. The example art throughout is magnificent, and for every lesson there’s a written and visual example. The tone of the book is fairly serious. It is clearly intended for someone like myself, who is desperately looking a way to ‘level up,’ and gain the extra skill sets needed to become a comic book artist/graphic novelist.

Lowe’s book should have been perfect for me, but after reading through it several times and trying some of the examples, I ended up instead with a visceral emotional response which can be summed up in two words: I suck.

The forward and introduction to Lowe’s book suggest this is the very last feeling that I should’ve come away with. Lowe is very much of the belief (as am I) that art, like any skill, can be learned by anyone regardless of innate talent given enough time and energy.

I’m not sure what it is about this book that left me with that feeling. As I’ve said, this is a textbook aimed at teaching basics. Yet I left it feeling like there was no way I could ever master any of it (despite being far from a novice artist,) and it was all too overwhelming.

I wonder if it wasn’t because all the art shown was so good? This is one of those art textbooks where I’m already green with envy just looking at the instruction images that are supposed to be teaching me to see basic shapes in every day items, and instead of seeing the circles and squares, I’m thinking: damn, look at that cool apple! How come I can’t draw an apple like that??

There are a few playful images in the textbook, but even those examples showcase tremendous skill in background drawing. There were no examples that made me feel: oh, hey, I can do that.

There were no suggestions for work-arounds. Like, for instance, in my own comic book art, I have been known to cheat. I’ll take original photographs and use them as background images:

The other thing that was missing from this book that’s been tremendously helpful for me, as someone who has considered coming into graphic novel writing from the other side is, a script. There’s a very specific kind of writing format that comic book WRITERS use that I’ve been privileged to see thanks to a friend of mine who works for Marvel and DC. What looking at those taught me was how important it is for the writer of comic books (if they’re not the artist) to think visually as well and consider how much text/dialogue can reasonably fit in a panel.

So, while I think this is probably an awesome textbook to go with a class, I’m not entirely sure how well it works for me. There are two huge chapters at the end of this book that are specific to digital programs that I’m not using. I would have preferred that space be used to talk more about the business of comic book writing.

Your mileage may vary.

As I said, my strong emotional reaction to what is essentially a textbook surprised me.

P.S. If you're curious about my initial response, I catalogued it here: http://lydamorehouse.dreamwidth.org/348468.html

Manga Wednesday

Mason and I giggled our way through our podcast this morning: 21: Zombies Lose Their Sh*t.  Go listen if you're at all interested in hearing us mutter vaguely incoherently about Bleach, One Piece, and Toriko (with smatterings of squee for Bleach List Girl, and discussions of Fairy Tale, Gekken Shoujo Nozaki-kun [the anime], and Hourou Musuko.)

In other news, our car broke down this morning.  It sucked, but there were some good things about it: it wasn't far from home (just up the block), it was early enough that Shawn could easily catch the bus, and it might be something fairly simple like my alternator.  The tow truck guy was nice and he was able to take it away and leave us at home.  It might be a hassle to go pick it up, but at least we get to wait for news about repair costs in the comfort of our own home.  Sucks, but, honestly?  I can't complain too much.

Back from Vacation!

After a short hiatus while my family was on vacation to Washington, DC, I'm back to posting my work-in-progress over at Wattpad.  You can read "Part 20: Shatterer of Worlds" here: http://www.wattpad.com/66446311-unjust-cause-part-20-shatterer-of-worlds

My description for this one is: "In which Alex discovers just how much she sucks as a fugitive from the law."

Also, you may see a spike in activity over here.  My alter ego's LJ has finally exceeded its free photo storage limit, and since I have a TON of vacation pictures I'd like to share, I may post them here along with a travelogue of our adventures and mis-adventures.  I'm still not quite sure if that's the best solution since it's so difficult to tell who uses my LJ and for what.  I mean, for the most part, people have been saying Live Journal is dead for years.  Yet, I know plenty of people who seem to still follow my alter ego there.

Honestly, there's been a lot of talk on one of my e-mail writers' groups about how blogs are kind of dead, too.  Most people are finding out news about their favorite authors through social media like Twitter and Facebook.  So... who knows what the smartest thing to do is.

Latest chapters of SnK and Ao No Exorcist Reviewed...

Because our podcast will be on hiatus next week, I wrote up my thoughts on the latest chapters of Shingeki no Kyjoin (aka Attack on Titan) #60 and Ao no Exorcist (aka Blue Exorcist) #59 on our MangaKast site:  https://mangakast.wordpress.com/2014/08/09/review-newest-snk-and-ao-no-exorcist/

Will Write for Donation...

In support of the anthology Accessing the Future, my alter ego is offering to write your name into a brand-new AngeLINK story.  That bonus is at the $250 level, but, if you buy this, I would also take prompts.  Is there something in the books you always wish I'd write?  A favorite character you wish I would revisit?  Just let me know if you buy this and I'll do my best to fulfill your wishes, PLUS add your name to the story.

You can also donate at a lower level and get e-copies of all my novels, plus a bonus short story "The Case of the Missing Devil Child" which appeared in the first issue of Simulacum back in 2003.

Interested?

Updates and Such...

First, since it's Wedsneday, you should check out Mason and I doing our manga thing:http://mangakast.wordpress.com/2014/08/06/20-manga-and-gender-and-more/

In this one we actually almost touch on something deep... well, to some extent, given that I'm talking about all this without a lot of coffee and very off the cuff. I've been on a not-so-very-serious quest to uncover more information about intersexed and transgendered representations in manga after the appearance of Giselle in Bleach. I found an interesting manga at the library called Wandering Son (which is alternately translated as Transient Son) about boy who wants to dress as/be a girl and After School Nightmare about an intersexed character who is forced to chose a gender identity as part of 'graduation' from a very weird (and dreamscape) high school (I did not, for reasons, read much of that one.) At any rate, I can't say that I've anything terribly insightful to say in the podcast, but I may end up doing a manga review of Wandering Son once I read a bit more of it, because... well, it rather combines all my interests: manga and GLBT issues.

The other fun thing that's happened in my life is that I got tapped to write a story for GISHWHES, which I'd never heard of before, but which is, apparently, a world-wide scavenger hunt organized by the actor Misha Collins (of Supernatural and, in my universe, Tumblr ships.) The request was not hard. The requirement was "a previously published science fiction author" writes a story LESS THAN 140 words involving Misha Collins (see above), the Queen of England, and the mascot of this year's scavenger hunt: an eliopus (a half-elephant/half-octopus.) I felt kind of honored to be asked because, well, truthfully, sometimes I don't feel very much like an author of the sort that gets asked to do these kinds of things (when I asked about this on my super-secret pro e-mail list I found out that people of the caliber like Charlie Stross and Garth Nix were getting inundated with requests.) So, you know, that made me feel like one of big league, which I almost never do.

And anyway, once I read the funny little job interview for "El Eliopus" on Craig's List (linked above) the story sort of wrote itself. Plus, the scavenger hunt itself is kind of amusing and cool-sounding if you read about it, so I was happy to help. It took me ten minutes, if that. So, you know, and easy job that made me feel part of something.

Otherwise, I've been working like mad on a project that will be launching in September. I'll have more news about that soon, but Garnet Lacey fans may have something to look forward to....

Tuesday Treats (with a bonus question)

I almost wanted to call this one "Dumpster Divining" because that's such a wonderful idea, but Nana Spider has already shuffled off with her plastic bag companions.  Thus, Alex is left wondering just what she is and decides to talk to the one person who would know.... her father, only, he's forgotten his cell at home, so who should pick up, but Alex's stepmonster....

http://www.wattpad.com/63798065-unjust-cause-part-19-the-stepmonster

So, go check that out, if you're so inclined.  Once again, it's a bit short.  I was going to go on, but then the final line was just TOO GOOD, so I left it there.

The title of this blog hints at a bonus question, so here it is: I'm doing a thing I can't entirely talk about yet (yeah, it's one of those annoying 'seekrit' project type things,) but as part of it I'm going to be resurrecting one of the characters from my novels.  I'm wondering how excited people would be to see Daniel Parrish again or has everyone mostly forgotten the Garnet Lacey novels?

Yeah... I think I'll just leave that hanging there too..... *wicked laughter*

Unjust Tuesdays

Nana Spider speaks in riddles and rhymes, but Alex finally learns something about her true nature: http://www.wattpad.com/62506189-unjust-cause-part-18-said-the-spider-to-the-dragon

That's right... the new installment is up on Wattpad for your enjoyment.

It's a little short this time, and I have to apologize.  My morning was eaten up by my son's 5th grade "celebration" (read: faux graduation).  He's left behind Elementary School and is now officially a middle grader... it was kind of a big thing, so I couldn't miss it.  But, that meant I got going far, far later than normal.

Comics & The Digital Age

Marvel is giving away some digital comic books for free this week.  There are three titles (Deadpool, Iron Man, and Wolverine) and, for each, you get two issues at no cost (if you follow the links I've provided to the series, be sure to scroll down to the listing of the individual books and you'll see the first two offered for free).  For me, this is a win-win situation because: free.  I have a hard time not enjoying the heck out of anything I don't have to pay for--this was a serious detriment when I used to review movies for a small, local newspaper.

So far I've read Deadpool: Gauntlet Infinite #1 & #2 and Iron Man: The Fatal Frontier Infinite #1 and, guess, what?  I enjoyed the heck out of them.

First of all, I haven't had a lot of previous experience with digital comics and I had no idea the extent to which the Marvel Comic Reader app-thingie made the experience far more like watching an animated short than reading a comic book.  Panels appear and disappear in a way that give you a sense of movement.  This is particularly impressive in the scene in Deadpool: Gauntlet Infinite #1where Deadpool is slashing through some bus exhaust, trying to hit what he thinks is a vampire who has turned invisible (the vampire actually hopped on top of the bus.) Also, the way that the opening "credits" were done in Deadpool was a very obvious James Bond movie nod.

Really well done (plus, I like Reilly Brown's art tremendously.)

So, if you've never read a digital comic book before, I might simply recommend any one of these as a 'just try the experience' kind of recommendation.  Because, it really is quite nifty.

As for the stories... one thing I LOVE about comic books is that they tap into my willingness to suspend all disbelief and roll with Soviets on the moon and vampires in London.  You know, sometimes as a writer, I get really caught up listening to that internal editor who is always so busy telling me that my ideas are ridiculous and silly.  Then, I pick up a published issue of a Marvel comic and I think, "Yeah, no, I'm good."

That's not to say that I thought the stories were stupid.  No, just the opposite.  The writing entertained a very secret part of me that wants to go back to the Moon, even if it's to fight a disgruntled Soviet machine who feels we stole the moon from them, or that would like to raid Egyptian tombs for living mummy brides for Dracula.  I mean, yes!  So much yes!  These are the stories that, if I think about them too hard I will find problems with, but my inner thirteen year old is like, "Go!" and that ignite and rekindle my sense of wonder.

MangaKast 18 (With Bonus Fan Art)

I drew Renji last night because I felt like it.  If you're ever curious about my crappy fan /art you can feel free to browse my deviantART account (which is under my secret fan name): http://junko222.deviantart.com.

Here's the link to the MangaKast, if you're interested: https://mangakast.wordpress.com/2014/07/23/you-are-my-sunshine-eighteen/

Newest Installment

The newest installment is up on Wattpad.  In this exciting episode, tool-welding magpies stage a jail break!  Part 17: The Cleverness of Birds

I wrote this latest bit while watching the birds in the feeder just outside my sunroom window.  If there's a lot of repetition of the word "fluttering" it because those noisy little so-and-sos were doing just that.  We have a lot of trees around our house, so there's a been a plethora a squawking babies demanding beak-feeding at the feeder as well.

Manga Madness

Mason and I actually recorded our MangaKast #17 early because a number of the weeklies came out early.  There is much silliness, accidental poetry, squee, and spoilers for Bleach, Toriko, and Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist.

https://mangakast.wordpress.com/2014/07/15/seventeen-came-early/

Tuesday with Tate!

Yep, it's that time again.  There's another short adventure for you to enjoy up on Wattpad:

http://www.wattpad.com/59880996-unjust-cause-part-16-a-dragon%27s-prison

There's a lot of magic happening in this bit, as Alex finds herself arrested for assault and tossed into a holding cell that seems to have been built to hold a very specific thing....